Easter Wings: George Herbert
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Though foolishly he lost the same,
Decaying more and more,
Till he became
Most poor :
Repentance is a thorough change of person's natural heart, upon the subject of sin. We are all born in sin. We naturally love sin. We take to sin, as soon as we can act and think-just as the bird takes to flying, and the fish takes to swimming. There never was a child that required schooling or education in order to learn deceitfulness, selfishness, passion, self-will, gluttony, pride and foolishness. These things are not picked up from bad companions, or gradually learned by a long course of tedious instruction. They spring up of themselves, even when boys and girls are brought up alone. The seeds of them are evidently the natural product of the heart. The aptitude of all children to these evil things is an unanswerable proof of the corruption and fall of man. Now when this heart of ours is changed by the Holy Spirit, when this natural love of sin is cast out, then takes place that change which the Word of God calls "repentance." The person in whom the change is created is said to "repent." They may be called, in one word, a repentant person.
WHAT TO DO UNDER THE CONDITIONS
True repentance goes on to work sorrow for sin. The heart of a repentant person is touched with deep remorse because of their past transgressions. They are cut to the heart to think that they have lived so madly and so wickedly. They mourn over time wasted, over talents misspent, over God dishonored, over their own soul being injured. The remembrance of these things is grievous to them. The burden of these things is sometimes almost intolerable. When a person sorrows like this, you have the second step in true repentance.
~ J.C. Ryle
Lord, you search us, and you know us. Before we think or say a word, Lord, you already know what it will be.
You know us individually, but you also know us as a body. Before these past two years of pruning-before Chapel Hill Bible Church ever began-you saw this meeting, and you heard the prayers we bring to you tonight.